FEATURED AUGUST 2009 GUEST: Connie L. Stambush

The Edge of India

One adventurous woman, one Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle,

and one ambitious route. 

©Connie Stambush

Q: When and how did you first come by the idea of riding a motorcycle around the coast of India?

A:  Like all great adventures (including or rather, especially life) there were a series of events that took me from working in corporate America to the back of a motorcycle in India. The first event was when the company I worked for for fourteen years relocated from the Midwest to the East Coast and I was confronted with one of life’s forks in the road: follow the company and have a “safe” life, or follow my heart and take a risk on the unknown.

Something inside me said choosing the “safe” life didn’t mean that life would turn out as expected. Knowing that my preconceived expectations for my life probably wouldn’t be met, I decided to quit my job, sell my car, suits and furniture, and buy a one-way ticket to Germany. Once I was abroad, I traveled by foot, bus, train, and boat to get around.

The second event came while I was looking out the window of a bus I was a passenger on in Eastern Turkey. Gazing out the bus’ dusty pane, a vision of myself riding a motorcycle down a pretty little lane popped into my head. I’d been traveling abroad for over a year at that point, confined to public transportation, and had grown tired of it and the travel routes chosen by others for me. I wanted the independence and freedom having one’s own transportation offered. And, even though I’d never ridden a motorcycle before, nothing evoked the idea of freedom and independence for me more than a motorcycle. With that vision, the idea of motorcycling was seared into my mind but the reality of it still took time.

The third event occurred when I arrived in India and heard the thumping sound of the Royal Enfield Bullet’s engine. That sound sparked the dream I’d had two years earlier while on that bus in Turkey. When the dream for unfettered freedom and the sound of the growling engine collided, the idea of riding a Bullet solo the edge of India was born.

Q: How much time passed between having the idea, and actually revving up the engine and hitting the road?

A: It was almost three years from moment I had that daydream while on a bus in Turkey until it blossomed into a full-blown plan of riding a motorcycle solo. During that time I lived and worked in Prague before moving to New Delhi to freelance for the Houston Chronicle. After a year in India I was offered a position as an editor for a wire service. Living in New Delhi made me feel as if I understood India, but I knew this wasn’t true. India is too vast and complex to get to know from behind a desk. When my contract ended I decided it was time to put the dream that had been bubbling inside me into action and to discover the country I’d come to call home.

I learned to ride a motorcycle by taking an ABATE of Indiana/MSF motorcycle rider course in the States while home visiting my family. I then returned to India, bought a Royal Enfield Bullet, loosely plotted a route, and hit the road.

Q: What kind of response did you get from friends, family and even strangers once you voiced your plans?

A: I’d been living outside of the United States working and traveling for about four years by the time I committed myself to the journey, so that made it easier for friends and family to digest. But that aside, I was blessed with a mother and father who believed in my abilities, even though they were largely untested. My mom instilled in me the belief that I had to follow my dreams. She taught me that every one has a different life to live and it is up to each one of us to discover how we want to live it.

My dad told me when I was a teenager that I could “do anything, go anywhere, be anyone I chose.” The two together had a powerful affect on how I saw my self and learned to trust my self. It was cyclical: they believed in me causing me to believe in myself causing others to believe in me.

My friends supported me but they know I can be a little hard headed and determined; if they doubted my abilities they were kind enough to not voice their opinions.

Strangers sometimes tried to impart their fears (and envies) on me by telling me I should carry a gun because it was unsafe for a woman to travel in the world alone. Talk about “crazy” ideas! The mind is the most most powerful weapon a human can possess. I was learning to use mine, and I was learning a lot about people and myself.

Q:  What was your biggest challenge during your preparation to leave New Delhi?

A: The most difficult part was forcing myself to start the journey because I was a little intimidated by the notion of months alone on a motorcycle I barely knew how to ride. Still, it was something I wanted to try so I busied myself learning the mechanics of motorcycle repair, studying Hindi, pouring over maps, and planning routes, all the while ignoring the one thing I couldn’t prepare for which was how I’d react once I was out of my comfort zone. That is where the real test of character comes into play. Deep down I knew this and it scared me. It’s okay to be a little afraid of the unknown. In fact, the real problems occur when we think we have it all figured out.

©Connie Stambush

Q: What was the most important thing you learned about yourself...and India, during your 5 month journey?

A: Great follow-up question. I learned that I’m full of surprises and that I didn’t know myself as well as I thought I did. India was an amazing place for learning things about myself that were not always pretty. In it, my environment became a kaleidoscope of changing landscapes, emotions, and beliefs. It seemed like every moment involved an encounter or situation that revealed a part of me I’d not yet discovered. While some of these discoveries were unpleasant, they cast a glaring light on my character that allowed me to see myself as a whole. It was a good thing because it allowed me to understand that I’m a flawed person but once the flaws are exposed changes can be made.

The Buddhist have a saying, “Don’t believe every thing you think.” It’s the one true thing that can be counted on in life. That what we think about ourselves and others may be wrong.

Q: Was there ever a moment during your trip when you thought "this is crazy...what I am doing" and had the urge to stop and turn around? If YES..how did you overcome it and keep going?

A: No. I never had that feeling once I got out of New Delhi and on the road. I’m not a person who easily commits to things, but once I do there is no turning back. It just took me a few extra days to get going, and that’s okay. However, I don’t think this is true for everyone and it may not always be true for me. If I were to ever have the feeling that I needed to stop doing something then I would, and I wouldn’t feel guilty about quitting. No one should. It’s important to honor your feelings and to know that feelings change. People change, and that can be a good thing.

Q: How has the experience of this incredible adventure changed the way you set other goals and live your life on a daily basis?

A: It made me appreciate every day more, and to live in the moment. I’m also braver and more of a risk taker. As a kid I was very shy and fearful of taking charge. Now I know, down to my core, that I have to take charge of my life. I do a pretty good job but I’m not mistake free. I’m not afraid of making mistakes, however, because I know that they are my biggest learning lessons.

©Connie Stambush

Q: I know you have a fantastic blog detailing your trip and I hear there is a book in the works! Any idea on when the we might see it in the bookstores?

A: I’m in the early stages of searching for an agent now who will be a passionate advocate for the book and a supporter of me and my work. The book is 80% written and a proposal is completed. All I need now is an agent who will love it and can sell it to an editor/publisher who will love it. I know times are tough in the publishing arena and I’m told that travel/adventure/memoirs are hard to sell in today’s climate, that people aren’t venturing out like they used to because of the economy.

But reading a book has always allowed me to explore places and invest in a fantasy without the hard work of personally living it. Isn’t that that same for others too?

Q: Where are you living now and what new adventures are you focused on?

A: I was living in Maine last winter writing the book, and this summer I’ve been teaching motorcycle safety classes (I’ve been a national MSF and ABATE of Indiana instructor for nine years). In the back of my mind I’ve been dreaming of Russia but I don’t have a fix on what I might do. It’s a process. My most immediate adventure will hopefully be in publishing, but I think that might be tougher than riding a motorcycle solo around India!

Q: What advice and words of wisdom do you have for those who have a vision or a dream, yet are feeling a little intimidated in getting started?

A: Ask yourself this, “At the end of my life will I regret not taking this chance?” If the answer is “Yes” you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Listen to your gut. It’s a great indicator of what is right for you. If you have a desire to do something “unconventional” and you believe it’s possible then take the risk and do it. Life is full of risks, you owe it to yourself to be the one choosing the risk. Try not to let them fall on you happenstance.

Also, surround yourself with people who believe in you. We all have enough self-doubt within us, we don’t need naysayers in our lives to tell us we “can’t” do something. After my father told me I could “go, do, be” anything I wanted, I came across the below poem in the newspaper that I clipped and have carried with me in my wallet for years.

CAN DO

Did is a word of achievement.

Won't is a word of retreat.

Might is a word of bereavement.

Can't is a word of defeat.

Ought is a word of duty.

Try is a word of each hour.

Will is a word of beauty.

Can is a word of power.

-Anonymous

© Connie L. Stambush